Rimuru POV

I turned my attention to Feiyun after calculating the amount of power being put into this strike.

"We still have a bit of time before he releases that. I need you to tell me what you saw that night." I said, snapping her out of her spiraling thoughts

"I was still in Old Timer's body during that period of time. When she saw this Emperor, some kind of mind-controlling spell was used. I immediately swapped our consciousness to save Old Timer and fought a little with the Marshal before making a run for it. You saw the rest, and that's how I ended up here." Feiyun quickly explained

A mind control spell... It usually isn't possible for Kevin, Su, and Hua to have fallen to such a spell, but this world's logic... If they have Unique Skills, then it may have been difficult but if that spell was from an Ultimate Skill...

"We have fifteen minutes before that strike comes straight for us. I'll contact Ramiris and have Tempest evacuated into the labyrinth. In the meantime, make sure anyone and everyone around Tempest are inside the city. I'll reiterate this again, but absolutely no one must follow me." I commanded

... No, wait... Now that I think about it... The game...

"Why was Guy tolerating the existence of the Empire? His plan was to unify the world with the Demon Lord forces, right?" Diablo asked, looking at the screen again

"It is funny. Why, indeed?" Ultima wondered

"The battle would be more interesting if the strong gathered together, but Guy is surprisingly serious. I have a feeling that if he could, he would just go there personally and eliminate the fools..." Carrera added

Testarossa answered those questions, "It's simple. Velgrynd-sama is there. If we touch the Empire, we will be provoking Velgrynd-sama. That is why I've been so quiet in the Empire."

There was a mutter of 'so quiet?' from someone but I flipped my attention to the person Testarossa mentioned.

"Velgrynd?"

"What a surprise. I didn't know that White Primordial Blanc-" Minits paused as he saw a threatening smile on Testarossa's face and quickly changed his words, "No, Testarossa-dono had so much respect for the 'Scorch Dragon' who lives in the 'burning mountain of the gods'."

"'Respect' is not the word I would use. My relationship with the True Dragons was somewhat complicated. However, since our Lady Rimuru-sama and Veldora-sama are allies, it is only natural that I should pay my respects to Veldora-sama's sister as well, isn't it?" Testarossa mused

I see. So she's a True Dragon like Veldora. His sister, huh?

"Well, that definitely answered my question. A True Dragon..."

Calgurio suddenly spoke up, "With all due respect, I must say something. As far as I know, it is a fact that the Empire worships Velgrynd-sama as a guardian dragon. Even in the history of the Empire, she has been protecting us from angelic attacks. However..."

"It is only because the Empire is paying tribute to Velgrynd-sama, begging her to grant it on a whim." Minits added

"That noble and beautiful crimson dragon is a symbol of the prosperity of the Empire. We, 'Single Digits', must have an audience with that dragon after being accepted by His Majesty Rudra. We must remember her name and face and show her that we will never be hostile to him."

"Indeed, I have performed that ritual myself. Hostility is impossible. It's not an existence one can win against." Bonnie recounted

"A True Dragon... This might sound weird, but..." Feiyun pondered, "... But do you think that the Marshal and the Scorch Dragon are the same person?"

"No way..."

... That makes sense. That must be why Guy never made a move against the Empire.

"Well, we have no time to think about this. There are still ten minutes before he has enough power to fire that. Prepare for the evacuation immediately."

"I've already deployed all able soldiers to begin the evacuation." Beni assured me

I nodded and sent a <Telepathy Net> to Ramiris while explaining the situation to her with <Thought Acceleration>.

"Rimuru-sama."

"What is it, Diablo?"

"Since Guy seemed to be involved in this, I had called him over." Diablo explained, much to our shock

I was stunned, "... You... You called him?"

"Yes!"

Why do you look so happy?! This is an emergency, you know!

"I can't talk to him right now, so please keep him company for the time being."

"Understood."

"Feiyun, just as planned, you will be protecting Masayuki-kun. Iris, you will stay in the Control Room to keep watch over this situation. If there are any changes, you need to inform me immediately. Also, contact King Gazel to let him know about this and make sure no one is wandering outside of Dwargon until the strike has been stopped." I ordered them

"Got it."

"Understood, Lady Mother."

Beni seemed to want to say something but settled on a few words, "Please do be careful, Rimuru-sama."

"I know. Don't worry about me!"

After assuring him, I teleported to Floor 73 where the 'door' to my realm was and closed my eyes to think.

<Master. This decision will affect the timing of the evolutionary sleep of the Flame-chasers inside. Also->

I know the risks, Raphael-san. But the risks only apply to me. If I don't do this, then I would be putting this world in danger. You understand that, right?

<... Yes. I will provide optimization to the fullest.>

Thank you. Now, let's do this.

Reopening my eyes, I laid my hand on the 'door' and smiled lightly.

I'm sorry, everyone, but let me be reckless one more time.

"... Seal."

...

*Time Remaining: 9 minutes*

Veldora POV

Iris entered the Control Room with some shocking news as she began using Argos to get a read on the situation while contacting King Gazel.

"The strike is coming?! Now?!"

"Yes. The evacuation is underway. Ramiris-sama, are you ready to send the city down?" Iris asked

Ramiris nodded, "Of course! I've been ready since Rimuru's call!"

"Where is she?! I'm gonna go look for her!" I said, standing up and getting myself ready to teleport to Rimuru

Damn it! She closed the Soul Corridor again!

"Please do not do that, Veldora-sama. You know how she is. If you try to go to her now, she will definitely find a way to return you here again." Iris said as she waited for a reply from Gazel's side

"At the very least, she should have told me first! I'm sure she will let me go with her if I talk to her!" I argued

"Do you really think that is possible?" Iris questioned me, "You know her. She keeps to her words. That is who she is. I... I also wanted to stop her. I wanted to tell her to not do it alone, but... but I couldn't. I'm sure Feiyun felt the same way. No, all the executives in that room wanted to say something, but none could. They saw what An-Utu is like now, and they knew that there was nothing they can say to stop her."

"But...!"

I paused as the screen finally showed the flames of destruction. There was no doubt about it. It was the same flames I saw in Rimuru's memories.

"That's... That's the thing you guys were talking about?" Ramiris shivered

"An incredible power... It's as if we are feeling its power through Argos." Beretta exclaimed

"And Rimuru-sama is heading out there to stop that alone...?" Treyni gasped

Iris lets out a resigned sigh as Gazel finally comes on the call from the communicator.

...

Gazel POV

"Withdraw our forces temporarily?" I repeated the words of the girl called 'Iris', "Where is Rimuru? I want an explanation."

"She cannot answer you at the moment. To make things easier for you to understand, I will be showing you something using Argos."

An image is shown to us almost immediately. Despite it being shown from the Empire, I could feel my blood running cold at the fiery sight.

"What is that?!" Pann exclaimed almost immediately

"As you can see, these dangerous flames are about to be fired soon. We do not know if it may graze past Dwargon, but it is certain that the trajectory is straight at the Great Forest of Jura. Lady Mother is currently heading out to stop it herself, and ordering the evacuation of the city back into the labyrinth. Thus, if there is a chance that Dwargon may become affected, we need anyone outside the gates to return to your city immediately to prevent any casualties. These flames are extremely dangerous."

"Alone? What is that girl thinking? Going out there alone is practically suicide!"

"... Unfortunately, if we let it be, those flames will destroy the entire forest and the Western Nations beyond it. That is how dangerous it is."

I grunted, looking at the flames on the screen once again, holding in a deep sigh, "I can't believe that girl..."

"Instead of relying on those Primordial Demons, she is instead heading out there herself?" Jane muttered in disbelief, "Is she trying to say that even those Primordials are no match for those flames? Those dangerous Demons...?"

"... I trust Rimuru, but Iris, I must see it myself. I want to see her stop that attack." I said

"... Of course, King Gazel."

Another image appears, showing the borders of the forest that is facing the way toward the Eastern Empire. Rimuru can be seen flying at the border as calm as ever. It is truly amazing that she can still have that much composure despite something that dangerous threatening to come her way.

"... Dorf, order a temporary retreat."

"Yes, sir!"

I believe in you, Rimuru. So you better do a good job.

...

*Time Remaining: 7 minutes*

Guy POV

Since Diablo was so insistent that I came to Tempest, I arrived and Diablo led us into a luxurious guest room, I assume. I brought Raine, Mizeri, and Velzard along this time. Velzard insisted on following me this time to see Rimuru with her own eyes, wanting to see how dangerous this girl could be to the world. Yet...

"You called me all the way here and... Where's your master?" I asked Diablo with a bit of impatience

Speaking of the guy, he seemed to be in a foul mood already, but that wasn't my problem. It was just rare to see Diablo like that and I know why. It is always related to Rimuru, so his mood is currently related to Rimuru, that's for sure.

"My apologies, but my Lady is currently attending..." He paused, looking off to the side, "... to another important business. She will see you, but it may take some time."

"Really now?"

I blinked as soon as I felt something happening around us.

This feeling... The entire nation has been placed inside Ramiris's labyrinth. What's going on here?

"Explain yourself, Diablo. You call me over, Rimuru isn't here and now the entire nation is thrown into Ramiris's labyrinth. What the hell is going on? If you won't explain, then I'll go over and find Ramiris myself."

He clicked his tongue but I ignored it and waited for his response.

"I'm sure my little brother, Veldora, will be more than happy to tell me if he knows that I'm here." Velzard spoke up beside me

"Give me a moment, Velzard-sama."

Diablo seemed to be communicating with someone before sighing. He gave his head a slight shake before looking back at us.

"Veldora-sama and Ramiris-sama are currently busy as well. I have been given permission to give you the brief details of what is happening right now. The nation is currently about to be under attack by the Empire. It seems like they have suddenly decided to choose this time to release a dangerous attack." Diablo explained

That's really vague!

"A dangerous attack?"

"Yes. Unfortunately, you have dropped by at a bad time, and are now caught up in the evacuation. Please do not leave this place until things outside have settled down. Rimuru-sama will be back to speak to you once everything is settled." Diablo answered

A reminder that  YOU were the one who insisted that I came, you tiresome simp!

"And Rimuru-sama is currently away because of this dangerous attack?" Velzard asked as Diablo nodded in response

"Couldn't she just send people like you or Testarossa out there and the problem would have been resolved easily?" I asked

He clicked his tongue louder this time, "Exactly, Guy. However, we have received strict orders to not interfere. I have never felt so useless in such a long while..."

I narrowed my eyes, "Strict orders? From Rimuru? Diablo. What the hell is going on? Are you telling me that all of Tempest's forces are inside here too?"

There was no response from him this time but his frown was deepening, his mood obviously fouler than before.

"... I see. The one out there right now is Rimuru, huh?"

"You're saying that Rimuru-sama has personally gone out by herself to deal with that 'dangerous attack'?" Velzard asked

I crossed my arms, "Seeing him like that, I would assume so. He's even evading the topic. This means that whatever that attack is, Rimuru thinks that even Primordials cannot handle it."

Diablo glared at me for a brief second before turning his head away. Another few moments later, he looked back at us.

"... Fine. This sounds good to me as well." Diablo muttered as an orb appeared in his hand and his mood seems to be getting better, "Kufufufu. Yes. I believe that this is a great time to show you Rimuru-sama's true greatness."

Hm? That's... not a recording or an image. It's actually showing something in real time. What is that?

He places the orb on the table before a screen pops out of the orb, giving us a larger view of what was on it. On the border of the Great Forest of Jura and flying in the air while facing the direction of the Empire was Rimuru. I took a glance at Diablo, who seemed to be intensely staring at Rimuru, and turned my eyes to Velzard. She gives me a short nod and we both put our attention on what was being shown to us.

I have no idea what's happening, but this might finally give us a glimpse of what Rimuru has been hiding the entire time. It better be worth the time.

...

*Time Remaining: 3 minutes*

Third Person POV

Anxiety remained in the meeting room after Rimuru had left as they stared at the screen that showed Rimuru waiting at the border of the forest. Executives like Gobta, Gabiru, Rigurd, and Kaijin had already left to check on the city after the evacuation had been completed, leaving Benimaru, Shion, Souei, Hakurou, Gadra, and the Imperial soldiers in the room.

"There's about three minutes left until the inevitable strike." Feiyun noted

Shion finally grew impatient and placed her hand on her weapon, "I'm going with her after all! I can't bear to see Rimuru-sama face this by herself!"

"Don't be stupid, Shion. You will be defying Rimuru-sama's absolute order." Benimaru said with crossed arms

"But Benimaru...!"

Shion paused as she saw his hands shaking slightly but he hid his emotions well on the surface, looking back at the screen.

"We don't have any other choice. We can only believe in her as we always have." Hakurou sighed, stroking his beard while Souei nodded heavily

Shion hung her head in defeat, "Okay..."

"Feiyun-dono. As you might be aware by now, our other goal was to capture the 'God's daughter' as ordered by the Emperor. If Rimuru-sama is who we think she is, don't you think that this might all be a trap to lure her out?" Bonnie asked

Feiyun shrugged, "That may be the case, but that flame is the real thing. Even if it's bait to lure her out, we can't leave it alone. She knew that and made the decision."

"But..."

"Don't worry. She may be someone who seems to take things easy, but she knows when to become serious." Feiyun assured them

"I... see..."

"If you guys are that worried, then I guess you can try praying. Whatever you want to say, just say it in your heart. That's the only thing you can do right now other than watching something so nerve-wracking." Feiyun suggested while giving another shrug

She never thought that they would actually begin praying and their thoughts came out pretty clear.

"... She's your enemy, right? Damn... These guys are serious. They are actually treating her like an actual God. Should I send these thoughts to her for 'moral support'? ... Nah. I better hold it off for now." Feiyun then glances at the screen again, "You better not lose."

...

*Time Remaining: 1 minute*

Dino yawned slightly, playing with the magic marbles once again as he frowned a little at the bustling activity in the research lab.

"Why are they moving about again? Plus, Ramiris suddenly flew off when we were still discussing stuff. I wonder what's going on..."

"What's up, Xin?"

Dino glances up slightly at the five apprentices of Gadra. They only consisted of Shinji, Mark, and Xin at first but recently, two of their friends, Lucius and Raymond had also joined them in the research lab. Currently, their attention was on Xin as he fiddled with the weapon wrapped in cloth that he brings around all the time.

"I don't know... There's something odd happening to the Water's Edge." Xin muttered as he unwrapped the cloth, "... Look. Doesn't it look like it's reacting to something?"

Dino narrowed his eyes slightly as he picked up the pulsing aura radiating from the weapon.

"You're right..."

"Maybe I should have Master Feiyun check it..." Xin hummed in thought 

Dino blinked, thinking about Xin's eccentric Master, Feiyun, "She is an oddball, that one. She shows up whenever she wants and does her own things freely."

He also noticed how similar she was to Iris. They could both hide their races from him and carried the divine aura, but he decided that he liked Feiyun better compared to the scary Iris. Their first interaction still kept Dino's guard around the stoic and (almost) expressionless Iris while the freely expressive Feiyun was easier to interact with (in his opinion, and it was a plus that she was slightly lazier too).

"That aside, it's too quiet today... Is something about to begin...?"

...

On the borders of the forest, Rimuru breathed out a light sigh, giving her chest (where her core lay in) a light rub. There was still some lingering sting in her core from forcefully sealing and breaking her connection with the other half of her core temporarily.

<Report. The information taken from Argos has estimated the time it would take for the strike to reach Master. Estimated time before contact: 10 seconds.>

"Thank you, Raphael-san. Now then... It's almost time."

...

The final 10 seconds began ticking down and everyone waited for the fated time for the flames of destruction to come roaring with the threat of burning the forest to nothing. 

10... 9...

Those in the meeting room continued giving silent prayers to Rimuru.

8... 7...

Xin, with his extensive training with Hua and Feiyun, could now sense that something major was happening outside thanks to the Water's Edge.

"Honkai...?"

6... 5...

Guy tapped his finger on his crossed arm impatiently while glancing at Diablo from time to time. His expressions were varying but the admiration for Rimuru never faded from his eyes.

"Damn fanatic..."

4...

Those in the Control Room and Dwargon could see the situation from both sides, all hoping for the best results. The tension could not be any heavier.

"Rimuru..."

3...

In the Empire, Emperor Rudra's lips curved up in a smirk as the flames began to move.

2...

Rimuru reopens her eyes as her eyes looked forward with steely determination.

"It's coming..."

.

.

.

.

1...

The Might of An-Utu flew at supersonic speed upon release, its deadly flames propelling straight at the Great Forest of Jura. On its borders was its ruler, the Demon Lord Rimuru Tempest, stepping forward to stop the strike herself.

"No."

She wasn't alone. She had her reliable skill partner, <Wisdom King, Raphael>, with her to overcome this together. Drawing her beloved bow, the Key of Ego, glowed in divine light.

<Optimizing... Successful. Evolution complete. Divine Key: Key of Ego has successfully evolved into the Domain of Ego.>

Rimuru smiled fearlessly as she pulled on the bowstring, a ballistic form appeared around her as a giant crystal arrow formed.

<Applying <<Absolute Severance>> from the <<Covenant King, Uriel>> and <<Corrosion>> from the <<Gluttonous King, Beelzebub>>.>

The two skills merged into the arrow, giving it a galactic-like shine, and finally, Rimuru topped it off with the power of her <All of Life> as vines wrapped around the arrow. The flames were now within sight.

"Sorry, but... I will not let it kill anyone!"

With that firm determination, she releases the arrow as it flies straight at its target without rest. The two attacks collided, releasing shockwaves that blew around the barren land as Rimuru simultaneously deployed the <Origin Barrier> alongside Raphael's deployment of the <Absolute Defense> around the two attacks before the shockwaves could damage the atmosphere and structure of the world. A whole minute later, Rimuru reopened her eyes and looked at the empty barren land in front of her. A stunned breath of relief was let out and she stretched her arms up, letting the tension release from her body.

"... We did it...!"

<... Yes.>

...

Gazel huffed and a smile of relief was on his face as the tension released from his shoulders. His subordinates and adjutants were similarly relieved, especially after seeing the intensity of the collision. 

The meeting room was in a slight uproar due to Shion's cheer of 'She did it!' breaking the tense silence. Souei placed a hand on Benimaru's relaxed and slouched shoulders as the two glanced and exchanged a small smile. Hakurou nodded in relief while the Imperial soldiers cheered along with Shion. Feiyun sighed at the sight, shaking her head slightly.

In the research lab, Xin blinked as the pulsating aura from the Water's Edge faded to a stop as his friends discussed the possible issue while Dino yawned once again before laying his head on his arms.

Guy whistled a little at the display and glanced at Velzard, who had also crossed her arms with her gaze fixed intensely on the screen as an unknown emotion flickered in her eyes. Deciding to take a quick glance at Diablo, he cringed upon seeing him fawning. Behind him, Raine and Mizeri regained their composures but deep inside, their admiration for Rimuru continued to rise.

The Control Room was in a similar uproar after seeing Rimuru's success. Veldora pumped a fist and grinned in relief while Ramiris flew around, chattering non-stop while Beretta and Treyni watched her with a smile on their faces. Veldora glanced down at Iris, who was still controlling Argos and the communicator and placed his hand on her slightly shaking shoulder. Iris glanced up at him and released a breath of relief. In the middle of this celebration, Elle suddenly flies in with Keith trailing behind her, both with anxious expressions on their faces.

"Everyone!"

"You're just in time, Elle! We got everything recorded! You need to see this!" Veldora said, ready to boast about Rimuru's success 

Elle quickly stopped him, "T-This is terrible! The realm...! We went and tried to find the other Flame-chasers, but...!"

"Are they not inside?" Iris asked, recalling that she had told Elle about it through a <Telepathy Net> beforehand, "I am fairly certain that they are still sleeping, though."

Keith nodded at her words, "That's the problem. The 'door' to Rimuru-sama's realm is-"

"It's colorless and wrapped in weird vines! It... It's been sealed off!" Elle yelled anxiously

"Huh? What-"

*BOOM*

The loud sound that came from Argos turned their attention back to it as Veldora's eyes widened. An ominous man floated where Rimuru once was while looking down at the smoke bellowing on the ground. His appearance was demonic with a single black wing and a pair of pale horns jutting from the sides of his head, his arms covered in black claws and his hand held the flaming Divine Key, the Judgment of Shamash. Their mouths hung open in shock after their brains finally processed what had happened in their short moment of victory.

"Rimuru!"